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When suggesting the San Antonio River Walk as an engagement photography location, I am often met with a hesitant response. The image most people visualize is the crowded narrow walkway in the heart of the tourist attraction. I typically have to paint the picture of a much more laid back and intimate location away from the crowds. Just outside the main River Walk area is a more picturesque and quaint trail, that offers an intimate atmosphere.

Rebecca and Cody were up for the adventure, and trusted we would get some great photos for their engagement session. I always get excited when a local couple experiences new locations and sites they have not encountered before. The diversity and architecture of downtown allows for a wide range of backdrops, which Rebecca and Cody loved.

The lights of the Drury Inn along the San Antonio River Walk.

The Red Tunnel that connects the River Walk proper with the San Antonio River.

The Red Tunnel that connects the River Walk proper with the San Antonio River.

The Red Tunnel that connects the River Walk proper with the San Antonio River.

The waterfall along the San Antonio River Walk by Houston Street.

One of the alcoves for a high-rise building along the San Antonio River Walk.

One of the alcoves for a high-rise building along the San Antonio River Walk.

Wedding days are always exciting. I can feel the anticipation building as the couple’s get ready for the ceremony. No matter how laid back the ceremony and reception plans, I can always sense the nervous excitement among the bridal party.

Cara and Joseph may have been nervously anxious, but it was hidden from me. They both seemed completely unfazed by the wedding day chaos that tends to swirl around the big day. Everything fell into place, and those small details that might be a minor disaster to some, were brushed off with a calm improvised plan.

The best part of the day was seeing all the love and care they had for family and friends. It was touching to see the close bond, and emotional interactions, between guests, friends, and family. That is the exciting part the I will remember from their wedding day. Congrats Cara and Joseph, it was a privilege to photograph the moments of your wedding day.

I photographed some really great couples last year. In fact all the couples I have worked with have been fun and interesting, and I always enjoy spending time together with them. There are two images from the 2011 engagement sessions that really stood out for me. The first image is from Jessica and Carl’s engagement session along the San Antonio Riverwalk. The Riverwalk creates an endless list of photo possibilities, and while the below photo could have been taken anywhere, the charm of the location and the congratulations from the tourists made the trip that much more exciting.

Jessica and Carl along the San Antonio Riverwalk

Another wonderful image from 2011 was Jacqueline and Roy’s photo from Gorrell Park. I most often try to schedule engagement sessions around sunset. The light at that time of day is beautiful and makes for brilliant images. Jacqs and Roy’s session was around noon in July, and there is no harsher light than at that time of day and that time of year. Gorrell Park turned out to be a fantastic location, and the images were amazing. The large oak trees provided some diffused light, and I further refined the look by adding some off camera lighting. For me the image below turned out to be the most lovely shot of the two.

It is always great to meet other wedding vendors, but all too often that is difficult the day of the wedding. There is so much going on, and each of us has our job to do. Sometimes there is a break in the activities and an opportunity to meet arises, sometimes not.

At Jana and Jeff’s wedding I had the opportunity to meet Andrew, the Director of Monte Vista Strings and Jazz. His string quartet provided a delightful evening of music for the reception. He and the quartet added a classical and elegant atmosphere to the reception. Unfortunately we did not get to talk for very long, but I was very impressed with his company and services.

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Exploring downtown San Antonio can be quite interesting especially at night. I have posted a couple of photos previously from a night time downtown photography trip, and i have another today. The manner in which the river winds it s way through downtown is amazing and surprising. It seems almost anywhere you go within the heart of downtown you will run into the Riverwalk. The photo today is a prime example of this.

Darren and I were specifically staying at street level above the river, focusing mainly on architecture. Everything in San Antonio seems to be about the Riverwalk so our goal was to find interesting shots that did not focus on that. The image below was an alley that caught my attention, and with some additional lighting I created the photo. As I caught back up with Darren he was pointing me down another walkway a little further down that ran parallel to the alley. At the other end it dumped us out right on the Riverwalk.

Downtown San Antonio is packed with wedding venues, and it is particularly fun photographing at new venues that I have not been to before. The Marriott Plaza Hotel was one such venue and provides an elegant location for wedding and reception. Situated near the Riverwalk the Marriott provides some very nice amenities including a gazebo garden complete with albino peacock. My first opportunity to photograph there was for Cassie and Brian’s wedding in 2009. Since I have been looking for the opportunity to shoot there again.

If you are looking for a venue with downtown charm and a unique atmosphere the Marriott is worth looking into.

I met up with one of my bride’s this past weekend to photograph some bridals for her reception portrait. Not only did she look stunning, but the portraits came out looking amazing. I knew this shoot would be bitter-sweet due to the fact that I would not be able to post the images until after the ceremony. With all the selects edited I let her decide on the portrait that would be used for the reception photo, and I sent it off for printing. I think she made a perfect choice, and I am sure everyone will be delighted with the image at the wedding. Keep an eye on the blog, it will be posted in 4 weeks.

Since I can’t show you the bridal portrait yet, I decided to post another image from downtown San Antonio. This was taken from the top of a parking tower, and is a stitched pano made up of 9 images. Unfortunately the excitement we had on the way to the top faded quickly as we struggled to compose compelling shots. Maybe the scenery was better on the other side of the parking garage, but we had other landmarks to visit.